Robert Novak: How Does He Stay Out of Jail?
Please read the full article from the LA Times:
Last week, lawyers for Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper were in federal court fighting the reporters' jail sentences for refusing to disclose who leaked them the name of a CIA operative.
So where was Robert D. Novak, the syndicated columnist, CNN talk-show host and uber-insider who started this mess back in July 2003? Citing sources in the administration, Novak had written that Valerie Plame, wife of a former U.S. diplomat critical of President Bush's Iraq policy, was a CIA spy. Turns out it's illegal for government officials to name spooks. Senators quickly called for an independent investigation, and the hunt for the leaker was on.
Theory 1
Novak was never subpoenaed
Theory 2
Novak was subpoenaed but refused to testify
Theory 3
Novak was subpoenaed but (a) invoked his 5th Amendment rights or (b) received immunity
Theory 4
Novak was subpoenaed and has already testified
Theory 5
Novak is a target
Novak has denied this explanation. "To the regret of many people, I am not a criminal target," he told a roomful of University of Wisconsin students this month.
If Miller has any regrets about taking the heat for Novak, she isn't airing them. "I feel no animus against Bob Novak," she said last week. "He's a journalist and he should protect his sources. But given what's at stake, I hope he will eventually disclose his own personal situation."
For now, he's not. "I don't talk about the Plame case. Period," said Novak, when contacted for this story.
"OK? Period."
